Round The Bend
by soul-apollyon
Summary: All those eons and the Sanzoikkou STILL haven't reached the West yet well, they've got a little more on their minds now. Seems that there has been an unknown force puttering away down south, aiming to sap the magic energies out of Togenyuko. Go figure.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Death**

Hmm.

Well... 

Anyway...

click

The night birds are singing. It's a cloudy night, even though it's full moon. Heck, who said it needed to be a clear night during full moon? Some idiot? At least she won't be seen. Full moon is the most inconvenient time for her, because folks will be looking out of their windows to stare at the moon, and there's a 99 chance she'll be spotted.

So yeah, it's good.

She hears the sounds of struggle. What's going on? She darts down a side alley, where sounds are coming from. A robber, dressed like a ninja's trying to get something from a woman. The woman is elderly, in her fifties. Wonder what he wants from her. She spies the glint of silver and on a polished amber stone.

No wonder he wants it, that's the Snake stone, coveted prize of the Snake clan. The ninja guy must be part of a clan; it's a matter of honor. He must get any other clan's signature stone if he sees it, or risk expulsion from his clan.

Hmm. Wonder how that old lady got it.

She waits in the shadows. Once that guy is done stealing the stone, he'll most probably kill the woman to avoid screaming, live, evidence, and she'll take whatever he's left or forgotten to take. It seems horrifying, to pick things off the dead, but she's a street kid. She knows that some things have got to be done to survive.

She's waiting. At last she hears the soft thump that signifies he's jumped over the wall into the night. She advances cautiously.

Right into a solid block of moonlight.

The clouds have parted. And—OH NO THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING... he's still there. He's been carving something onto the lady's shoulder with a long knife. 

She doesn't know what caused that thump. A cat, perhaps. Her mind's screaming, but she doesn't move, rooted to the spot with terror. Petrified.

The clan member looks up. The curves of an evil smile are indented into the tight cloth over his mouth. 

He advances. She still doesn't move.

"Let's just make this between you and me, shall we?" A sibilant, piercing whisper.

Her eyes open in terror. Her muscles unlocked at last, she dives and starts running, but too late. The ninja's hand is clamped firmly on her arm. She struggles, but it's no use. A slight chuckle breaks the silence.

She knows if she screams now, it's no use. No one will care about a street kid being murdered in a lonely alley. Deafening rock music starts pumping out from a flat above her. So, even if she does scream, no one will hear. 

The clan member apparently has had enough. She's knocked on her back. Pain, and then blackness...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Awakening**

click

pssssssshhhhh

The child has awakened.

Several weeks after Chapter 1 happened...

Four bishounens are driving down a dusty country lane, where the road is always forest-surrounded, until they reach an inn. The road has been like that for several days. The monotony of it all has already begun to strike them. The one at the wheel smiles, adjusts the controls, like what he's been doing for the past two hours. Another, in the front passenger seat, "ch"s and leans back, enjoying a brief smoke. Ignoring whatever might be going on. The other two sitting in the back seat are torn between being bored to tears and argument.

Talk about a sheer need of change.

Suddenly, something battered and cloaked totters out of the side of the road and flumps down in front of the jeep. The vehicle screeches to a halt, the driver getting out and cautiously inspecting the thing. He moves to remove the hood.

He stops. He has this sudden, strong feeling that it would NOT be wise to remove it.

He carries the body back to the jeep. Places it between the two passengers at the back and warns them not to remove the hood. Not unless they wish to walk to the West themselves.

The redheaded one cocks an eyebrow, clearly surprised. Evidently the driver isn't as fierce as that, normally.

"What's with that guy, Hakkai?" he growls.

The one called Hakkai smiles. "Nothing. But do keep, quiet, Gojyo. You and Goku might just startle him, because I don't know if he's dead, fainted, asleep or ..."

The redhead nods, and mutters something low and threatening to his fellow backseat passenger, Goku. Goku looks indignant and immediately opens his mouth to protest, but is covered hurriedly by the redhead, Gojyo.

The blond monk in the front seat snorts. He doesn't say a word though.

Hakkai notices. "Calm down, Sanzo-sama."

Sanzo snorts again, but no sound of disapproval, so the driver gets in again cheerily and the jeep moves off.

Meanwhile, Gojyo is keeping awake from sheer curiosity. His companion has already fallen asleep, and he worries that his loud snores might startle their mysterious passenger. He waits for a moment, waiting for a moment when both Sanzo and Hakkai, the driver are occupied.

He moves to pull back the hood, when suddenly a sharp burning sensation hits him.

He jerks his hand back, swearing.

The redhead is obviously startled, and sits in silence for the rest of the journey.

Later at dinner, their mysterious guest has woken up and sits quietly at the table. Gojyo and Goku, are, of course, wolfing down whatever there is on the table. The other two are eating, yes, but in moderation. Once or twice, the four stop to offer him some food, but their requests are met with silence and head-shakes.

After the meal, the monk is preoccupied by the booking of room for himself and his 'servants'. Unfortunately, there are only three rooms left. Someone will have to share a room. Sanzo, usually demanding to have a room to himself, consents to share a room with the monkey. Hakkai and Gojyo will have the other, and the stranger sleeps alone. 

No one disagrees.

The next day, they're driving on the road again. Suddenly, they screech to a halt. The driver gets out to inspect something by the roadside. He comes back grimly.

"It's a Dragon."

His companions nod, equally grimly.

Suddenly, their passenger speaks for the first time. "Let me see that."

The voice is soft, feminine. It startles everyone, and Gojyo rather regrets that he did not do anything during the trip. The stranger gets up, and pulls back the hood.

Soft, long, pure white hair tumbles out. The stranger turns out to be a young girl, and I suppose everyone expected that. Her face has no color in it at all, just pure white. The only color is her eyes, a sharp piercing green. She walks and kneels to inspect the body. Down the back is a scar, purple and dragon-shaped. It runs down the left side of the body.

Was that a flicker of memory?

She brushes it aside, and returns to the jeep. "Dragon?" Meanwhile, Hakkai blasts the body with an energy ball.

Gojyo explains.

"The Dragon clan is a very strong, supernaturally strong youkai clan. Some can return to life after they are killed, so we have to make sure that they don't. They are very, repeat, very hard to defeat. Some adepts can kill with a single blow. They also carve the sign of the Dragon into their victim's bodies, always on the right hand side. What you saw just now was one of their agents, I don't know how he got there, but we had better make sure he's dead. At present, we are being trailed. If you're coming with us, you had better know how to defend yourself, because they could and can come any time."

She nods, and they set off again.

During dinner, they discuss the matter of the agent's body by the roadside. What did it mean? Were they being followed closer than they thought? Goku remembers something.

"Oh yeah, hey, what's your name?"

The girl smiles. Scary. Even her lips are white. "I guess you could call me... Eri."

"Okay, Eri!"

He returns to chattering nonsense.


End file.
